Weed Management Affects Pasture Productivity and Animal Performance

Weed can be defined as any plant growing in undesirable locations. Weeds are considered one of the main challenges in agricultural fields. Weeds affect pasture productivity mainly because of the competition for limited resources such as nutrients, water, and light with forage plants. Weeds encroach pastures spontaneously and spread quickly through the farm and neighboring areas, making their control difficult. In addition, weeds can affect forage nutritive value, grazing behaviour, voluntary forage intake, animal health, and consequently animal performance. The low efficiency of mechanical weeding and the global concern about indiscriminate use of herbicides impose challenges for producers in grazing systems. These factors justify the importance of proper weed management to minimize financial losses and environmental impacts and drive the research effort in this area. Currently, some strategies including grazing management, grass and legumes integration, and site-specific weed spraying have demonstrated potential to improve the efficiency of weed supression and increase the productivity and profitability of livestock systems. This review aims to discuss about the main effects of weed encroachment in grasslands regarding pasture productivity and animal performance, as well as emphasize potential strategies for weed management

Reference Percentiles for Bioelectrical Phase Angle in Athletes

The present study aimed to develop reference values for bioelectrical phase angle in male and female athletes from different sports. Overall, 2224 subjects participated in this study [1658 males (age 26.2±8.9 y) and 566 females (age 26.9±6.6 y)]. Participants were categorized by their sport discipline and sorted into three different sport modalities: Endurance, velocity/power, and team sports. Phase angle was directly measured using a foot-to-hand bioimpedance technology at a 50 kHz frequency during the in-season period. Reference percentiles (5th, 15th, 50th, 85th, and 95th) were calculated and stratified by sex, sport discipline and modality using an empirical Bayesian analysis. This method allows for the sharing of information between different groups, creating reference percentiles, even for sports disciplines with few observations. Phase angle differed (men: P<0.001; women: P=0.003) among the three sport modalities, where endurance athletes showed a lower value than the other groups (men: Vs. velocity/power: P=0.010, 95% CI=−0.43 to −0.04; vs. team sports: P < 0.001, 95% CI=−0.48 to −0.02; women: Vs. velocity/power: P=0.002, 95% CI=−0.59 to −0.10; vs. team sports: P=0.015, 95% CI=−0.52 to−0.04). Male athletes showed a higher phase angle than female athletes within each sport modality (endurance: p<0.01, 95% CI=0.63 to 1.14; velocity/power: P<0.01, 95% CI=0.68 to 1.07; team sports: P<0.01, 95% CI=0.98 to 1.23). We derived phase angle reference percentiles for endurance, velocity/power, and team sports athletes. Additionally, we calculated sex-specific references for a total of 22 and 19 sport disciplines for male and female athletes, respectively. This study provides sex and sport-specific percentiles for phase angle that can track body composition and performance-related parameters in athletes

Operação Bororos: vivências de saúde, educação e cultura na Chapada dos Guimarães

Trabalho apresentado no II Congresso Nacional do PROJETO RONDON, realizado em Florianópolis, SC, no período de 23 a 25 de setembro de 2015 - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.Introdução: O Projeto Rondon é um programa interministerial, coordenado pelo Ministério da Defesa, que visa integrar e desenvolver ações comunitárias em regiões com maiores índices de pobreza e exclusão social, bem como áreas isoladas do território nacional necessitadas de maior aporte de bens e serviços. Em parceira com as universidades, o projeto pretende contribuir com a formação do universitário como cidadão, integrá-lo ao processo de desenvolvimento nacional por meio de ações participativas sobre a realidade do país. Além disso, visa consolidar no universitário o sentido de responsabilidade social coletiva, em prol da cidadania estimulando a produção de projetos coletivos locais, em parceria com as comunidades, com foco na capacitação de agentes multiplicadores, estimulando ações que valorizem o cidadão, a cultura local e promovam o intercâmbio de informações. Com esse espírito, a Instituição de Ensino Superior (IES) desenvolveu um plano de trabalho, aprovado para execução no município de Chapada dos Guimarães, estado do Mato Grosso, durante a Operação Bororos, no período de 10 a 26 de julho de 2015. Objetivo: Descrever as atividades realizadas no município, direcionadas aos profissionais de saúde, educação, assistência social e à comunidade em geral. Metodologia: A descrição se dará a partir do registro documental e fotográfico das atividades desenvolvidas e das avaliações feitas pelos participantes. Resultados: Foram realizadas 22 atividades de cultura, comunicação, saúde e educação, por meio de oficinas teórico-práticas, simpósios, mutirão de saúde e rodas de conversa, com participação de 293 pessoas. A maior parte das atividades foi concentrada na área urbana do município, em escolas, creches, centros culturais, praças e feiras ao ar livre. Observaram-se benefícios à comunidade com a troca de saberes e informações ofertadas pelos universitários, uma vez que agregaram novos subsídios para o trabalho cotidiano, seja dos multiplicadores ou dos cidadãos em geral que tiveram acesso às atividades desenvolvidas. Conclusão: O Projeto Rondon consolida-se como oportunidade única para os universitários colocarem em prática os conhecimentos adquiridos ao longo de suas vivências acadêmicas em prol da sociedade. Observou-se a necessidade de adequação das atividades priorizando-se as populações rurais caracterizadas como mais vulneráveis

Ensaio imunoenzimático (ELIZA) com antígeno recombinante para triagem de bovinos positivos para leptospirose.

Os ensaios imunoenzimáticos (ELISAs) têm sido desenvolvidos como métodos alternativos de triagem soroepidemiológica para a leptospirose bovina. Podem-se destacar como vantagens do teste de ELISA em relação à SAM, a segurança (não utiliza bactérias vivas), a alta sensibilidade do teste, a facilidade de execução da análise, rapidez, menor custo e a objetividade da interpretação dos resultadosbitstream/CPAP-2010/57324/1/CT86.pd

Efficacy of boceprevir, an NS3 protease inhibitor, in combination with peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin in treatment-naive patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C infection (SPRINT-1): an open-label, randomised, multicentre phase 2 trial

Peginterferon plus ribavirin achieves sustained virological response (SVR) in fewer than half of patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus infection treated for 48 weeks. We tested the efficacy of boceprevir, an NS3 hepatitis C virus oral protease inhibitor, when added to peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin. In part 1 of this trial, undertaken in 67 sites in the USA, Canada, and Europe, 520 treatment-naive patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus infection were randomly assigned to receive peginterferon alfa-2b 1·5 μg/kg plus ribavirin 800–1400 mg daily for 48 weeks (PR48; n=104); peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin daily for 4 weeks, followed by peginterferon alfa-2b, ribavirin, and boceprevir 800 mg three times a day for 24 weeks (PR4/PRB24; n=103) or 44 weeks (PR4/PRB44; n=103); or peginterferon alfa-2b, ribavirin, and boceprevir three times a day for 28 weeks (PRB28; n=107) or 48 weeks (PRB48; n=103). In part 2, 75 patients were randomly assigned to receive either PRB48 (n=16) or low-dose ribavirin (400–1000 mg) plus peginterferon alfa-2b and boceprevir three times a day for 48 weeks (low-dose PRB48; n=59). Randomisation was by computer-generated code, and study personnel and patients were not masked to group assignment. The primary endpoint was SVR 24 weeks after treatment. Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00423670. Patients in all four boceprevir groups had higher rates of SVR than did the control group (58/107 [54%, 95% CI 44–64], p=0·013 for PRB28; 58/103 [56%, 44–66], p=0·005 for PR4/PRB24; 69/103 [67%, 57–76], p<0·0001 for PRB48; and 77/103 [75%, 65–83], p<0·0001 for PR4/PRB44; vs 39/104 [38%, 28–48] for PR48 control). Low-dose ribavirin was associated with a high rate of viral breakthrough (16/59 [27%]), and a rate of relapse (six of 27 [22%]) similar to control (12/51 [24%]). Boceprevir-based groups had higher rates of anaemia (227/416 [55%] vs 35/104 [34%]) and dysgeusia (111/416 [27%] vs nine of 104 [9%]) than did the control group. In patients with untreated genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C infection, the addition of the direct-acting antiviral agent boceprevir to standard treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin after a 4-week lead-in seems to have the potential to double the sustained response rate compared with that recorded with standard treatment alone. Merck

Recombinant human erythropoietin increases survival and reduces neuronal apoptosis in a murine model of cerebral malaria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cerebral malaria (CM) is an acute encephalopathy with increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes and localized ischaemia. In children CM induces cognitive impairment in about 10% of the survivors. Erythropoietin (Epo) has – besides of its well known haematopoietic properties – significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects in various brain disorders. The neurobiological responses to exogenously injected Epo during murine CM were examined.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Female C57BL/6j mice (4–6 weeks), infected with <it>Plasmodium berghei </it>ANKA, were treated with recombinant human Epo (rhEpo; 50–5000 U/kg/OD, i.p.) at different time points. The effect on survival was measured. Brain pathology was investigated by TUNEL (Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP)-digoxigenin nick end labelling), as a marker of apoptosis. Gene expression in brain tissue was measured by real time PCR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Treatment with rhEpo increased survival in mice with CM in a dose- and time-dependent manner and reduced apoptotic cell death of neurons as well as the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the brain. This neuroprotective effect appeared to be independent of the haematopoietic effect.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results and its excellent safety profile in humans makes rhEpo a potential candidate for adjunct treatment of CM.</p

Reduced SLIT2 is Associated with Increased Cell Proliferation and Arsenic Trioxide Resistance in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

Simple Summary In solid tumors, the altered expression of embryonic genes such as the SLIT-ROBO family has been associated with poor prognosis, while little is known about their role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Previous studies reported frequent hypermethylation of SLIT2 mediated by the methyltransferase enzyme EZH2 and more recently the PML protein, which are commonly found to be aberrantly expressed in AML. Here, we aim to assess retrospectively the clinical relevance of the SLIT2 gene in acute promyelocytic leukemia, a homogenous subtype of AML. We demonstrated that reduced SLIT2 expression was associated with high leukocyte counts and reduced overall survival in different APL cohorts. STLI2 treatment decreased APL growth, while SLIT2 knockdown accelerated cell cycle progression and proliferation. Finally, reduced expression of SLIT2 in murine APL blasts resulted in fatal leukemia associated with increased leukocyte counts in vivo. These findings demonstrate that SLIT2 can be considered as a prognostic marker in APL, and a potential candidate for clinical studies of a more heterogeneous disease, such as AML. The SLIT-ROBO axis plays an important role in normal stem-cell biology, with possible repercussions on cancer stem cell emergence. Although the Promyelocytic Leukemia (PML) protein can regulate SLIT2 expression in the central nervous system, little is known about SLIT2 in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Hence, we aimed to investigate the levels of SLIT2 in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and assess its biological activity in vitro and in vivo. Our analysis indicated that blasts with SLIT2(high) transcript levels were associated with cell cycle arrest, while SLIT2(low) APL blasts displayed a more stem-cell like phenotype. In a retrospective analysis using a cohort of patients treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracyclines, high SLIT2 expression was correlated with reduced leukocyte count (p = 0.024), and independently associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio: 0.94; 95% confidence interval: 0.92-0.97; p <0.001). Functionally, SLIT2-knockdown in primary APL blasts and cell lines led to increased cell proliferation and resistance to arsenic trioxide induced apoptosis. Finally, in vivo transplant of Slit2-silenced primary APL blasts promoted increased leukocyte count (p = 0.001) and decreased overall survival (p = 0.002) compared with the control. In summary, our data highlight the tumor suppressive function of SLIT2 in APL and its deteriorating effects on disease progression when downregulated

A Key Commitment Step in Erythropoiesis Is Synchronized with the Cell Cycle Clock through Mutual Inhibition between PU.1 and S-Phase Progression

During red blood cell development, differentiation and cell cycle progression are intimately and uniquely linked through interdependent mechanisms involving the erythroid transcriptional suppressor PU.1 and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p57KIP2